As Eris left our shared space, I thought of what to do while she is gone. I remembered that I delivered a smooth sell line to get my hands on the recipe of the Axis cult for soap and detergent.
I also remembered another promise I made... To Megumin's friend.
I gave a sigh and knew that I'd need to give Megumin the baskets of fruit, that I seemed to have forgotten. So now I had a few tasks to do.
Opening the notebook, I look into the recipes that I have written when the old woman.
The soap's ingredients were as such: soapwort roots - naturally... coconut or olive oil - "Guess I would have to make an olive farm..." rice starch - to keep everything together.
And for the detergent: fermented citrus juice, soapwort infusion and herbs.
It seems I would also need to make a farm for orange or lemon, rice and soapwort and also a few herbs like rosemary and sage.
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Work came step by step.
First stop: The florist's shop.
I went out of the farm, stride full of confidence. I locked the mechanism behind myself, before going to Acat and jumping in. With a single order, it began to drive back towards town. I didn't know what half of the plants on the list look like.
There was also the need for something else, a glass factory; that's easy enough, I can make sand with Create Earth. But for me to make it into sand I would need to turn the sand into silica sand or in other words silicon dioxide. After this I melt it and then press it into the shapes I need, I would also need corks... UGH!!! Tree farm, I also need a tree farm.
Best make a list...
---
To do list:
Rice farm
Orange farm
Olive farm
Herb farm
Tree farm
Glass factory
Cork factory
Soap and Detergent factory.
---
That looks pretty bad, but i could do it with the help of my little selves. I just need to figure how to make the real world show in my dream so I can make an accurate schematic.
He made it into town, got off the car and walked to the florist. "Ey man, it's been a while."
"Ah, it's you, young man. How's the farming venture going for you?"
"It's going very nice. You wouldn't happen to have rice, orange and olive seeds, would you?"
"Aren't you special. First you come and ask for the most generic and now you are moving onto the exotics. Yes, I do have some at home, you would just have to come back tomorrow. Free of charge."
"Truly, thank you, but I could also ask for a few more things, do you have sage or rosemary? Also a sapling."
"The sapling is next to you." - The florist said, gesturing with his hand. "And as for those herbs, I have some in the back. For automation I suppose."
"Yes."
As the man went inside and I followed after him, he began to dig into the storage. "If you don't mind me asking, why do you need them?" He asked.
I scratch the back of my head with my hand and explain. "Well, on my vacation in Arcanletia I met an old lady to whom I lied that I'm trying to make a 'world tradition collection' to get the recipes off of her. And so I don't lie, I'm kind of forced to make a factory for soap and detergent now."
The florist laughed heartedly as he got the seeds for the herbs I asked for. "How noble of you to make a truth out of a lie so it isn't a lie. Well, I wish you good luck, Svetislav."
"Thank you, have a great day." I said to him.
"You too!" He replied with a warm smile.
And so I left with the seeds for the herbs... But there was still one problem - how would I be able to farm then with my current technology.
"How am I even supposed to farm stuff from trees~"
In that moment an artificial life came out of my chest, and looked at me without eyes. Suddenly a wide grin was painted over my face, as the answer was right in front of me. "Oh buddy... Aren't you full of surprises."
As I moved towards the guild I passed a street which was in the direction of Arcanletia, this reminded that my friends are going to appear some time soon, so I look at the sun to see how long till when reach town, and confirmed that they'd be here a few hours from now.
Since I had no reason to just sit around and wait I decide to go and make some money - in other words go and sell cabbages to the guild. After all... Actually - NO! He doesn't need more money, he doesn't even need more materials, he is going to get such by duplicating them - of course he is going to lose a whole lot of mana while does that.
And so he got out of town rematerialize Acat and went to the paranoid man's plot of land, he was planning on building a little grey house, which would also be infused with vines and other greenery - that's the herb house.
In it he will make a little inner garden, a bit of dome with many pots and plants, maybe he could get lavender... The color reminded him of Her, it brought him a smile.
Another day, today he will let his little workers build, but before that he would rest and meditate a schematic.
So he sat in Acat, closed his eyes and activated the spell, quickly tiring himself out so he can fall asleep.
And so after a bit of self draining his brain finally gave way for dreams for form. He began to visualize the house, adding details as he looks it again and again. Soon enough he has had enough of this, so he woke up and placed the schematic in his mind.
After everything is set, he unleashed his army of little workers, which dug the ground, made.
Now with this set up, I look up at the sun and realize I have around half an hour till my friends come. Eh, whatever.
I simply watch as my extensions build the house for me. Time to make all the schematics...
This is just so uncomfortable. I fucking hate sleeping while sitting. I get out of the car and begin to work on Acat, making her longer and with a space for a mattress on which I'd be able to sleep on. I literally cut he in half, before pulling the two halves away from one another and then welding more metal, as well as elongating the track.
After an hour of this vigorous work It was done, with a very comfy mattress, a blanket, pillows(Of course). I get in and lay down, closing my eyes and relaxing.
The hours went by as I began to work on the schematics, the first was the rice farm - a simple pool with dirt at the bottom, on the sides and the middle is a contraption that is very similar to the one at the cabbage farm, but this one had a soul, so there was no need for writing a logical code, I simply needed to say what needs to happen and the life would translate that to action. Then came the olives and the oranges, those two farms will be just as simple, but no construction needed - I will plant the seeds, grow the trees, and make artificial life pick the fruits and send the product into the astral storage. Then comes the process of extracting what I need... Orange juice and olive oil. The oil part would be done by transforming the unneeded the pit into mana, and the the fruit would be pressed by a cold press till all the olive oil is out.
For the fermented citrus juice, he would split the orange juice to a more manageable portion, one for bottling the other for the detergent.
There are so many stuff that he could do with the byproducts.
Then the glass factory, it's simple, the pure silica dioxide is melted, then poured into molds and pressed into the shape it needs to be, while also cutting it. After this the top and bottle part would be molded and set aside for use.
Then the tree farm and the cork factory, the tree farm is simple, the cork factory is pretty difficult.
I woke up and grabbed by notebook, unsure if I have made everything.
---
To do list:
Rice farm ✓
Orange farm ✓
Olive farm ✓
Herb farm ✓✓✓
Tree farm ✓
Glass factory ✓
Cork factory ✓
Soap and Detergent factory X
---
I gave a sigh, I was drained and in need of rest, so I took a break and made Acat ride me back to the mansion while i was still laying, thinking.
That night, after dinner at the guild, I returned to the mansion, took a bath and went into my room to rest. "Goodnight guys!" I yelled, getting in return the same.
As my mind raced, I thought back to the herb house, It's not a house just for herbs, It's a cozy home with all the features. A cozy home for Us...
With a sigh I whispered Her name. "...Eris."
Around half a minute later I saw her glow through my eyelids.
"Yes, my love?" I heard her say.
As I opened my eyes and looked at her, she held her hands together in front of her lap, a worried face. "Ah, oh. Nothing, just getting dreamy." I said, standing on my elbows, gesturing for her to sit.
"About what?" She asked gently.
"I have begun the construction of a new living space, more acceptable as of to say... And I was just thinking of us living in it."
Her eyes softened, and she grabbed my hand. "That's... beautiful."
"Wanna cuddle for a bit?" I smiled, already using my privilege.
She chuckled and smiled. "Any time."
And so she laid down beside me, I placed my hand on the edge of the blanket and hugged her with it.
"Work is plentiful." I say to myself..
I nudge Eris gently, my fingers tracing along her side until she hums and buries her face closer to my chest. For a few perfect seconds everything is still, as if the world was all for Us.
But then - footsteps pass the door - light, and a little too energetic for midnight. A familiar voice rang out.
"Is everything alright?" Aqua asked.
I keep my tone soft. "What made you think it's not?"
"I heard you talking to yourself."
"I was just hyping myself up for tomorrow."
Eris froze beside me, fingers tightening on my shirt, I can feel her heartbeat quicken under my palm.
After a moment, her voice - curious - calls again. "...Hype? For what?"
"Farms and factories."
"Oh, alright then. Goodnight!"
"Goodnight."
As Aqua's footsteps were hear going away, we both let out a breath which neither of us knew we were holding.
I place a hand on my chest and from it I pulled another artificial life, before positioning it at the door to absorb kinetic energy as well as transform the vibrations that our voices produced... Though that wouldn't matter now.
"Wanna just... stop talking and enjoy ourselves?" I asked quietly.
Eris smiles into my shirt, a small, tender thing that makes me proud of myself. "I would like that," she murmurs.
And so we rested, to the point that I actually fell asleep holding her.
---
The morning that came after, The thing I immediately felt was her absence. I knew why she was gone, so I stood up and prepared. Clothes on, teeth cleaned with pressurized water, after which i went out. "See you later guys!" As I walked out of the mansion the first thing was my little workers waiting for me. I looked at them and simply smiled, reabsorbing them.
I ride to town, before going to the shop on foot. "Morning! Is everything ready?"
"Good morning! And yes, I have everything ready for you... Also you forgot to grab the sapling."
I looked at where the sapling was meant to be and it was still there. "Oh well, I can get it now."
"Indeed you can. Here you go!" The man pulled a pouch of rice as well as a very tiny pouch in which was an orange seed and an olive seed.
"Thank you! Have a great one!" I said taking everything in my astral storage and turning around to leave.
"You too, youngin." The man gave his usual warm smile waving as I left.
And so now I needed to get to building, so that's what I did, I began placing schematics on the appropriate places. I began spawning more and more little workers to the point that there were at least ten of them. I gave them the privilege to build the farms and factories(except the cleaning products one) and went to check on the herb house. I did hit that old house vibe, It felt like home...
I laid on the bed and went to sleep, making the detergent and soap farm schematic, after which I woke up and finally placed it... Now with this I can just rest and wait. My little workers would return to me when the job is done.
So in term, I am just sitting this out and when everything is done I would need to come, and make the code for everything.